Clash of Titans II

If you weren't paying attention as you studied the wall of Phoebus' weight room, you might not even notice. But in the midst of pictures showing the program's best players and teams, there hangs a small towel in a frame. It has a caricature of a bulldog flexing its muscles. Beneath are the words STONE BRIDGE FOOTBALL.

"The coaches brought that back to motivate us because they knew, most likely, we'd be playing them again," Phantoms safety Colby Goodwyn said. "And it hyped us up."

The coaches were right. Phoebus and Stone Bridge ran the table through the regular season and the first three rounds of the Division 5 playoffs.

And this afternoon at Darling Stadium, they meet again.

Nearly 12 months have passed since the Bulldogs scored 24 consecutive points and took advantage of five turnovers in a 38-24 state semifinal win in Ashburn. Stone Bridge went on to win its first state championship.

The setback is Phoebus' only loss in its last 34 games.

"It hurt real bad," cornerback Markell Wilkins said. "It was like taking candy from a little kid. We set a goal this season that we have unfinished business."

For the Phantoms (13-0), what really stings is how the game was lost. Two minutes into the third quarter, they looked to be in control with a 24-14 lead. Stone Bridge's high-powered offense was sputtering. Then, everything changed ... and Phoebus fell apart.

Fullback Darius McMillan, as dependable as it gets, fumbled inside his 10-yard line. The Bulldogs cashed in, and it was 24-21. Then, after throwing only four interceptions all season, quarterback Tajh Boyd threw his fifth. Stone Bridge scored again, and it was 28-24.

It got worse. Robbie Davis, who hadn't blown a long snap all year, sent his pass over punter Matt Cole's head and out of the end zone. With the safety, it was 30-24. The Bulldogs took the free kick and put the game away with a time-consuming, grind-it-out drive.

"We had five turnovers in that game," said Boyd, unable to believe it even a year later. "Five."

It made for a long bus ride back.

"We weren't happy," Phoebus coach Bill Dee said. "We have a lot of pride in this program. We would have been motivated anyway, but I think that gave us a little extra motivation during the off-season."

Though Dee had instructed his players to take the rest of December off and not come back to the weight room until January, several were there the following week. And the towel was up on the wall.

For Stone Bridge, the win — and a 38-0 spanking of Potomac the following week in the final — was a watershed moment for the eight-year-old program. Still, Bulldogs coach Mickey Thompson said his players are just as motivated for the rematch.

"Oh, there's no question," he said. "They knew if we were going to win it again, we'd have to face Phoebus. So they always had one eye on their score every week.

"And I really wanted to play this game. I think it'll be a great high school football game. Whatever happens, happens. But I wanted to get to this game."

Everyone wanted it — in fact, the message boards were buzzing about it as early as August. For most of the season, Stone Bridge and Phoebus have been ranked second and third (respectively) behind Division 6 power Oscar Smith in The Associated Press state Group AAA poll.

Their paths here have been almost identical, right down to the 252.2 yards a game each team averages on the ground. The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition by 41 points a game, the Phantoms by 47 points a game.

Each team has five players committed to Division I programs, including both starting quarterbacks — Boyd to Tennessee, and Stone Bridge's Patrick Thompson to Wake Forest.

The Bulldogs' seniors are 50-4 with one state championship. The Phantoms' seniors are 50-3 with one state championship.

"They're an outstanding football team," Dee said. "There's no other way to look at it."

The Phantoms found out how outstanding last December. And they remember.

"This is the game we've been wanting the whole year," Boyd said. "Now, we've got it."

HRVarsity If you can't get to today's game, keep up with it using Lynn Burke's live blog from the game. Also at HRVarsity.com, don't miss our Faces in the Crowd feature, where you can add your photos from the stands from today's game. On Page D5  Capsule preview of today's state semifinal. Bay Rivers notebook: Lafayette's Will Hill is weighing his options.